Wringer driving mechanism.



H. H. TOLL.

WRINGER omvme MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26. 1917,

1,325,884. Patented Dec. 23,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

//v VEN TOR: H. H, TOL z.

EMQM H. H. TOLL.

WRINGER DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION men Nov.26. I917.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

36 as J A //Y VEN TOR.

H.H.TOLL

UNITED STATES Para ume.

HERMAN H. TOLL, OF CLARINDA, IOWA, A SSIGNOR TO CLARINDA LAWN. MOWER COMPANY, OF OLARINDA, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

wRING-ER DRIVING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAfi H. TOL citizen of the United States of America, and

resident of Clarinda, Page county, Iowa,

have invented a new and useful Wri'nger Driving Mechanism, of which the following is a. specification. 7

The object of this invention is to provide improved means for operating a wringer mechanism from a source of power. A further object of this invention is to provide a simple and compact driving mechanism for operating a wringer mechanism in either direction from a source of power.

A further object of this invention is to facilitate the control of a wringer mechanism, as to operation in' either direction or cessation of movement.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for. mounting a wringer mechanism on a support for oscillation through an are on a vertical axis.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for mounting a wringer mechanism on a support for oscil lation through an are on a vertical axis, and for operating said mechanism in either direction irrespective of its position relative to the support.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination-0f elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my improved wringer-mechanism mounted on a support, a portion only of which is shown. Fig. 2 is an elevation at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 Of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional elevation on an enlarged scale on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

In the construction of the device as shown the numeral 10 designates a support such as a washing machine tub, which may be of any desired form and construction. The tub 10 is provided with a fixed cover member 11 and a movable 'cover member 12 hinged thereto in any desired manner. A supporting plate 13 is mountedon and fixed to the fixed cover member 11, and a driving shaft 14 is journaled for rotation in bearings carried by said plate, and is adapted Specification of Iuatters Patent.

. to be operated by any suitable means. The

driving shaft 14 preferably is inclosed by a sleeve 15 in part.

At one end the supporting plate 13 is offset upwardly and a cylindrical gear casing 16 is formed integrally thereon, said casing having it axis arranged vertically, and projecting beyond the tub. A bearing member 17 also is formed integrally on the supporting plate 13 and projects beneath, spaced from and arranged coaxially with the gear casing 16. A supporting arm 18 is provided and carries a wringer mechanism, indicated generally by the numeral 19, which may be of any desired type and construction, said wringer mechanism having one of it wringer roll shafts projected materially beyond the frame and indicated by the 'numeral 20.

A sleeve 21 is fixed rigidly through the bottom of the gear casing 16 and projects upwardly part way within said casing and 7 also projects downwardly through the bearing 17 and beyond said bearing. The. wringer supporting arm 18 is forked at one end and formed wlth spaced bearings 22, 23, pivoted on the sleeveor spindle 21 above and below the bearing member 17 respectively. A bottom plate 24 is fixed to the lower end of the sleeve or spindle 21 beneath the bearing 23, and may be secured to the bearing member 17 by a bolt 25. Thus, the wringer is mounted for oscillation on a vertical axis by articulation of the bearings 22, 23 on the hollow spindle or sleeve 21.

The driving shaft 14 projects at one end through the 'gearcasing 16 and a bevel gear 26 is fixed to said shaft within the casing. A countershaft 27 is arranged vertically n and axially of the gear casinglfi and has its lower end journaled in the upper portion of the sleei e 21 and its upper end journaled in and projecting through the removable top 28 of said casing. A bevel gear 29 is fixed to the countershaft 27 within the casing 16 and meshes with and is adapted to be driven by the bevel pinion 26. A second gear casing 30 is mounted above the casing 16 and the extended wringer roll shaft 20 projects within said casing .30. The casing 30 is formed with opposed bearings 31, 32 axially of the shaft 20, and opposed bevel gears 33, 34 are mounted in said casing, loosely on said shaft 20, and have their hubs journaled in said bearings 31, 32. A bevel Patented Dec. 23, 1919. I Application filed November 26, 1917. Serial No. 204,073; I

gear is fixed to the projecting upper end faces 36, 37 of said gears, or to be located in neutral position between said clutch faces and out of contact with either, as shown in Fig. 3. The clutch member 38 is formed with a peripheral groove 39. A rocker shaft 40 is journaled in horizontal position in the gear casing 30 and is formed with spaced, downwardly projecting lugs 41, 42 engaging loosely within the groove 39 of the clutch member 38. A crank handle 43 is formed on'a projecting end portion of'the rocker shaft 40, and preferably terminates in a laterally extended knob 44 adapted to be grasped manually to actuate said shaft. .A vertical slide bearing 45 is formed on the crank handle 43, and a spring-actuated plunger pin 46 is slidingly mounted in said bearing and is adapted to engage selectively at its projecting lower end one or another of spaced contact points 47 48, 49 formed on the top of the casing 30, anddesigned to *yieldingly hold the rocker shaft 40 in any position in which it may be placed manually. When the plunger pin 46 is in contact with the central contact point 48 the crank handle 43 is in upright or neutral position and the clutch member 38 is in intermediate or neutral position out of contact with both clutch faces 36, 37; and said crank handle may be moved laterally in either direction, through an arc, to cause the clutch member '38'to engage either of the clutch faces 36 or 37 to drive the wringer rollshaft 20 in either direction as desired, the plunger pin 46 contacting with either contact point 47 or 49 to hold it in such position. I

Thus provision is made for operating the wringer mechanism either forwardly or revversely from the driving shaft, and for readily controlling the direction of operation orthe cessation thereof. Such operation and control may be exercised at will independently of the position of the wringer mechanism relative to its axis of oscillation on the support, which position may be varied to enable the operator to employ the wringer relative to the tub 10 or to other extraneous containers located adjacent thereto. When it is desired to shift the position of the wringer mechanism it is moved manually through an arc, the bearings 22, 23 of the supporting arm'18 rotating on the fixed spindle 21, the driving members maintaining their respective relations; It will be ob.- served that the rotary oscillation 'of'the wringer mechanism and its support, as well as the methodof mounting said support (the arm 18) from the support 10 and members carried thereby, is entirely independent of and disconnected from the vertical countershaft 27, thereby avoiding undue strain on and danger of displacement of said shaft. The supporting arm 18 has its bearings on the fixed spindle 21 and turns aboutsaid spindle in a plane below the position of the countershaft 27.

Any desired means may be employed for fixing and temporarily maintaining the wringer and its support 18 in its position of arcuate adjustment. To this end a rod 50 is mounted for rectilinear reciprocation in bearings 51 carried by and depending from the supporting arm 18, and is adapted flat faces at right angles to each other and at unequal distances from the pivot, adapted to engage selectively with the face of the said bearing. Whenthe lever 55 is extend= ed and has its end face in contact with the bearing 51, the rod 50 is withdrawn, against the influence of the spring 53, so that the wringer support and wringer may be moved through an arc; and when the lever is turned at right angles to the rod, as shown in Fig. 1, and has its'lateral face engaging the bearing 51, the rod 50 is seated in one or another o'f'the notches, under the influence of the spring 53, or is free to become seated be retained by'a pin 57 passed through said bearing above said spring, whichengages at I its lower end the plunger pin 46.

I claim as my invention- 1. A device of "the .class described, comprising a support, a supporting plate fixed thereto a driving shaft journaled on said supporting plate, a gear casing rigidly carried by said sup orting plate, within which gear casing sal driving, shaft extends, a hollow spindlemounted axially within and pro ecting beneath said gear. casin'g, a wringer mechanism pivoted on the projectm'g portion of said spindle, a countershaft vertically arranged, journaled in the upper portion of said hollow spindle, and projecting through the top of said casing, driving connections within the casing between'the drlving shaft and countershaft, a second gear casing pivoted on the projecting portion of the countershaft, said wringer mechanism including" a shaft extending within the second gear casing, and clutch-controlled driving connections between said countershaft and wringer shaft.

A device of the class described, comprising a support, a supporting plate fixed mentionedbevel gear, a second gear casing pivoted on the projecting portion of the countershaft, said wringer mechanism including a shaft, extending within, the second gear casing, and clutch-controlled drlvmg connections between said countershaft an wringer shaft within the second gear casing.-

-3. A device of the class described, comprising a support, a supporting plate thereon, a driving shaft"ournaled on said'supporting plate, vert cally. spaced bearing members formed 'on said supporting plate, a wrin'ger mechanism, a supporting arm on which said mechanism is carried, saidlarm being bifurcated at one end and formed with spaced bearings, a fixed spindle carried by the spaced bearings of said supporting plate and providing journals for the bearings of said supporting arm, a countershaft ver- 'tically arranged and stepped in the upper beari of said supportin late, driving conne igions between said d iv ing shaft and countershaft, and clutchwontrolled driving connections between said countershaft and the wringer mechanism.

4. A device of the class described, comprising a support, a supporting plate there. on, a driving shaft-journaled on said sup-v porting plate, said supporting}, late ,being formed with a ear casin an a bearing member spaced t erebeneat afixedspindle carried by aidcasing and bearing member,

a wringer mechanism, a sup orting fa rmm. carrymg Sitld wrmger mec amsm and fornnxl at one end with spaced bearings jOuTlmled on said spindle on opposite sides of aid bearing member, a countershaft vertically arranged and stepped for rotation in said gear casing, driving connections be tween said driving shaft and countershaft, and clutch-umtrolled driving connections between said countershaft and the wringer mechanism.

5. A device of the class described, comprising a support, a driving shaft jourualed thereon, a wrmger mechanism on said support having a shaft, a countershaft vertically arranged and adapted to be operated from said driving shaft, a bevel gear fixed to the upper end of said countershaft, a gear casing inclosing said bevel gear, into which casing the shaft of said wringer mechanism is extended, opposing bevel gears loosel mounted on said wringer shaft in mesh wit 1 the first mentioned bevelgear, said opposing bevel gears being formed with opposedclutch faces, a clutch member feathered on.

said wringer shaft and adapted to engage selectively said clutch faces, a rock shaft journaled in said casing and formed with mean for loosely engaging and sliding said clutch member, a crank handle on said rock shaft outside of said casing, and a springactuated latching member carried by said crank handle, said casing being formed with spaced means for engagement by said latch ing member.

6. In a mechanism of the class described, a casing and a shifta'ble member in said casing, said shifta'ble member being formed with a circumferential groove, in combination with'a rock shaft journaled in said casing at one side of, extending across and substantially at right an les to the axis of said shiftable member, said shaft being formed with a fork engaging the groove of said shiftable member, said shaft being formed with a crank handle, a slide bearing on said crank handle, and a spring-pressed plunger contained substantially within and projecting at one end only from said slide bearing,

said casing being formed with a plurality of contact faces at varying angles adapted to be engaged selective y by the projecting end of said plunger. Signed by me at Clarinda, Iowa, this 18th day of July, 1917. v

HERMAN H. TOLL. 

